Chief Executive Officer
What does a typical day look like for you?
In my typical day at work, I'm always focused on two groups of people, our members and our employees. I regularly meet my team to work on strategic initiatives so we can continue to serve our members well into the future. We want to serve our members while also creating a rewarding work environment for our employees.
What’s gotten you to where you are?
Hard work and dedication. I enjoy taking on new challenges, embracing ambiguity, challenging the status quo and having the courage to lead. Maintaining a learner mindset and a desire for continuous self-development has led me through my career to where I am now.
What keeps you up at night?
The world is always changing, and innovation continues to march forward at a quick rate. The constant pace of change within the financial services industry definitely keeps me up. I want to ensure Conexus is ready to serve the evolving needs of our members.
Chief Strategy and Governance Officer
What does a typical day look like for you?
My first thought is meetings, meetings, meetings…. but when I think about it more seriously – a typical day for me is that I am a connector – working with others and bringing various people across the organization together to support Conexus in delivering on its purpose.
What's gotten you to where you are?
I have a somewhat eclectic background and have transformed a few times over my career, which is what I think has prepared me best for becoming the Chief Strategy and Governance Officer. In my over 20 years of experience, I’ve progressively attained roles in management and executive leadership in different industries. The common denominator is that I love working through complex business problems with others using leadership, executive facilitation and organizational improvement capabilities to deliver member-centric strategic results.
What keeps you up at night?
I like to think more about what gets me up in the morning – and that is mostly that there is so much opportunity to make a lasting difference for others in the work that we do. My goal is always to leave anything that I do a little better than I found it for the next person.
Chief Risk and Compliance Officer
What does a typical day look like for you?
I’m an early riser and my preference is to focus the first part of my day on strategy, big ideas and brainstorming activities. As an extrovert I create energy as the day progresses by connecting with key partners and team members. My day typically ends with a mad dash to one of my three teenagers’ activities.
What’s gotten you to where you are?
Focus, resiliency, and great mentors. Most of my career has been spent on the operations side of the business, which has allowed me to obtain a deeper understanding of sales, lending and teamwork that has been a definite benefit for me. I am also inherently optimistic and can’t help but think that has helped me along the way as well!
What keeps you up at night?
The pace of change and disruption in the financial services space. There is a never-ending opportunity to learn and grow. Cultivating those ideas into actions that benefit our members and our teams at Conexus is challenging, but together I know that we are up to the task.
Chief Information Officer
What does a typical day like for you?
Every day is different, but they usually start with waking up early, eating breakfast, checking email while watching TSN, and reading articles on my phone.
During the workday I collaborate a lot with others while ensuring I have strategic thinking and learning time in my day. Everyday has new people, new challenges and new learnings.
After work, I make sure I’m home in time to eat with my family. Daily family dog walks keep me connected with my family and ensure our dogs stay calm.
What's gotten you to where you are?
I haven’t had any defined or clear path to my current role. I have worked in government, tech start-ups, cooperatives and recently the university. I have been told that I am hard working, consistent, transparent, and fun to work with. I also love to learn and embrace change. I feel these skills have helped me throughout my career.
What keeps you up at night?
I sleep very well… Part of my job is to try to monitor and understand the environment specifically around technology and future trends; then assess the impacts on Conexus. I love doing this, but it can be a little scary thinking about all the threats in our ever-changing world. Good thing I’m a heavy sleeper.
Chief Growth Officer
What's gotten you to where you are?
I’ve always had the desire and aspiration to do more, be more, try different and explore. With the willingness to learn and the desire to continuously grow, opportunities came my way.
When I fell down I got back up, I have always had to work at everything I wanted to accomplish and it really instilled this burning determination in me. From a young age I’ve always been dedicated to whatever I did – advice from my parents at a very young age – Finish what you start and give everything to whatever you commit to.
What keeps you up at night?
There are 2 things that I continuously ask myself about – 1. How to ensure we consistently honour our commitment to providing better advice to our members and 2. How do we ensure we continue to evolve our business to remain relevant. The business is changing so quickly – I want to be sure we can change with it so we will be here another 80+ years to support our members.
Chief Financial Officer
What does a typical day like for you?
First, I provide functional leadership of the financial aspects of the credit union with the goal of ensuring its long-term financial sustainability. Second, I learn. We’re in an ever-changing world, so paying attention to competitors, regulations, market, and economic conditions is a part of every day. Third, I work with my peers to build and execute strategy that improves the value of the credit union for our members.
What's gotten you to where you are?
Mentors, those around me and a good base of education. I’ve been inspired by others and have been very fortunate to learn from those I’ve worked with and for. I’ve been in the credit union environment since 1999 and my time has largely been spent in finance roles or working on initiatives through a finance lens touching all aspects of financial management: economics, treasury, tax, accounting and reporting, budgeting and control.
What keeps you up at night?
The sharp rise in consumer debt and slowing pace of savings and the impact that could have on our member’s financial well-being. Also the U.S. as Canada’s largest trading partner, and its dominance in financial markets, their trade, foreign policy, and economic conditions significantly impact Canada, Saskatchewan, and in turn Conexus and its members. Right now it’s very unpredictable, and the markets don’t like uncertainty.
Chief People Officer
What does a typical day look like for you?
When you work for Conexus, there is no such thing as a ‘typical day’ – it’s not in our vocabulary!
Whether its back to back meetings, networking with the community or strategy development – you can be sure the day will be filled with collaboration, curiosity and innovation that leads to lots of learning.
What's gotten you to where you are?
A willingness to take risks and an inherent belief in myself and those around me has provided a foundation for my career. The last 20 + years have been spent working for various credit unions in Western Canada all with their own distinct culture and business strategy. With a focus on leadership, I have spent the majority of my career in sales and operations and recently in member experience and now have a concentrated focus on the employee experience.
What keeps you up at night?
Not much; I sleep well! If there are days when I haven’t given my best, it might make for a later bedtime though. In all seriousness, I spend a lot of time thinking about the talent we have at Conexus and how best to cultivate and grow that potential not just for today, but for the needs of a tomorrow that is not yet defined.
Chief Marketing Officer
What does a typical day look like for you?
Balancing data-driven strategies with creative vision to enable marketing and branding initiatives with a dynamic team ensures I never have a typical day. We’re always moving forward and trying new things to proactively respond to our members' needs.
What’s gotten you to where you are?
A couple decades worth of marketing leadership and experience, specifically in the financial services world. Working closely with my teams, leaders, and partners to deliver marketing and branding initiatives that contribute to business results has helped shape me and my career.
What keeps you up at night?
Two small children. Kidding aside, ensuring our credit union is delivering on our promise to our members and communities is always top of mind. Balancing our offerings with market conditions and consumer needs in an ever-changing economic environment is part of how we show up for our members. Helping them succeed helps me sleep best at night.
Chief Executive Officer
What does a typical day look like for you?
In my typical day at work, I'm always focused on two groups of people, our members and our employees. I regularly meet my team to work on strategic initiatives so we can continue to serve our members well into the future. We want to serve our members while also creating a rewarding work environment for our employees.
What’s gotten you to where you are?
Hard work and dedication. I enjoy taking on new challenges, embracing ambiguity, challenging the status quo and having the courage to lead. Maintaining a learner mindset and a desire for continuous self-development has led me through my career to where I am now.
What keeps you up at night?
The world is always changing, and innovation continues to march forward at a quick rate. The constant pace of change within the financial services industry definitely keeps me up. I want to ensure Conexus is ready to serve the evolving needs of our members.
Chief Strategy and Governance Officer
What does a typical day look like for you?
My first thought is meetings, meetings, meetings…. but when I think about it more seriously – a typical day for me is that I am a connector – working with others and bringing various people across the organization together to support Conexus in delivering on its purpose.
What's gotten you to where you are?
I have a somewhat eclectic background and have transformed a few times over my career, which is what I think has prepared me best for becoming the Chief Strategy and Governance Officer. In my over 20 years of experience, I’ve progressively attained roles in management and executive leadership in different industries. The common denominator is that I love working through complex business problems with others using leadership, executive facilitation and organizational improvement capabilities to deliver member-centric strategic results.
What keeps you up at night?
I like to think more about what gets me up in the morning – and that is mostly that there is so much opportunity to make a lasting difference for others in the work that we do. My goal is always to leave anything that I do a little better than I found it for the next person.
Chief Risk and Compliance Officer
What does a typical day look like for you?
I’m an early riser and my preference is to focus the first part of my day on strategy, big ideas and brainstorming activities. As an extrovert I create energy as the day progresses by connecting with key partners and team members. My day typically ends with a mad dash to one of my three teenagers’ activities.
What’s gotten you to where you are?
Focus, resiliency, and great mentors. Most of my career has been spent on the operations side of the business, which has allowed me to obtain a deeper understanding of sales, lending and teamwork that has been a definite benefit for me. I am also inherently optimistic and can’t help but think that has helped me along the way as well!
What keeps you up at night?
The pace of change and disruption in the financial services space. There is a never-ending opportunity to learn and grow. Cultivating those ideas into actions that benefit our members and our teams at Conexus is challenging, but together I know that we are up to the task.
Chief Information Officer
What does a typical day like for you?
Every day is different, but they usually start with waking up early, eating breakfast, checking email while watching TSN, and reading articles on my phone.
During the workday I collaborate a lot with others while ensuring I have strategic thinking and learning time in my day. Everyday has new people, new challenges and new learnings.
After work, I make sure I’m home in time to eat with my family. Daily family dog walks keep me connected with my family and ensure our dogs stay calm.
What's gotten you to where you are?
I haven’t had any defined or clear path to my current role. I have worked in government, tech start-ups, cooperatives and recently the university. I have been told that I am hard working, consistent, transparent, and fun to work with. I also love to learn and embrace change. I feel these skills have helped me throughout my career.
What keeps you up at night?
I sleep very well… Part of my job is to try to monitor and understand the environment specifically around technology and future trends; then assess the impacts on Conexus. I love doing this, but it can be a little scary thinking about all the threats in our ever-changing world. Good thing I’m a heavy sleeper.
Chief Growth Officer
What's gotten you to where you are?
I’ve always had the desire and aspiration to do more, be more, try different and explore. With the willingness to learn and the desire to continuously grow, opportunities came my way.
When I fell down I got back up, I have always had to work at everything I wanted to accomplish and it really instilled this burning determination in me. From a young age I’ve always been dedicated to whatever I did – advice from my parents at a very young age – Finish what you start and give everything to whatever you commit to.
What keeps you up at night?
There are 2 things that I continuously ask myself about – 1. How to ensure we consistently honour our commitment to providing better advice to our members and 2. How do we ensure we continue to evolve our business to remain relevant. The business is changing so quickly – I want to be sure we can change with it so we will be here another 80+ years to support our members.
Chief Financial Officer
What does a typical day like for you?
First, I provide functional leadership of the financial aspects of the credit union with the goal of ensuring its long-term financial sustainability. Second, I learn. We’re in an ever-changing world, so paying attention to competitors, regulations, market, and economic conditions is a part of every day. Third, I work with my peers to build and execute strategy that improves the value of the credit union for our members.
What's gotten you to where you are?
Mentors, those around me and a good base of education. I’ve been inspired by others and have been very fortunate to learn from those I’ve worked with and for. I’ve been in the credit union environment since 1999 and my time has largely been spent in finance roles or working on initiatives through a finance lens touching all aspects of financial management: economics, treasury, tax, accounting and reporting, budgeting and control.
What keeps you up at night?
The sharp rise in consumer debt and slowing pace of savings and the impact that could have on our member’s financial well-being. Also the U.S. as Canada’s largest trading partner, and its dominance in financial markets, their trade, foreign policy, and economic conditions significantly impact Canada, Saskatchewan, and in turn Conexus and its members. Right now it’s very unpredictable, and the markets don’t like uncertainty.
Chief People Officer
What does a typical day look like for you?
When you work for Conexus, there is no such thing as a ‘typical day’ – it’s not in our vocabulary!
Whether its back to back meetings, networking with the community or strategy development – you can be sure the day will be filled with collaboration, curiosity and innovation that leads to lots of learning.
What's gotten you to where you are?
A willingness to take risks and an inherent belief in myself and those around me has provided a foundation for my career. The last 20 + years have been spent working for various credit unions in Western Canada all with their own distinct culture and business strategy. With a focus on leadership, I have spent the majority of my career in sales and operations and recently in member experience and now have a concentrated focus on the employee experience.
What keeps you up at night?
Not much; I sleep well! If there are days when I haven’t given my best, it might make for a later bedtime though. In all seriousness, I spend a lot of time thinking about the talent we have at Conexus and how best to cultivate and grow that potential not just for today, but for the needs of a tomorrow that is not yet defined.
Chief Marketing Officer
What does a typical day look like for you?
Balancing data-driven strategies with creative vision to enable marketing and branding initiatives with a dynamic team ensures I never have a typical day. We’re always moving forward and trying new things to proactively respond to our members' needs.
What’s gotten you to where you are?
A couple decades worth of marketing leadership and experience, specifically in the financial services world. Working closely with my teams, leaders, and partners to deliver marketing and branding initiatives that contribute to business results has helped shape me and my career.
What keeps you up at night?
Two small children. Kidding aside, ensuring our credit union is delivering on our promise to our members and communities is always top of mind. Balancing our offerings with market conditions and consumer needs in an ever-changing economic environment is part of how we show up for our members. Helping them succeed helps me sleep best at night.